1. Technical Field
The invention relates to therapeutic devices, and in particular to a device which emits infrared emissions for application to a subject to assist in the treatment of injuries.
2. Background Information
Various devices have been developed which apply radiation to an injured area of a subject, such as a human or an animal, which is believed to provide a healing effect thereon. Many of these devices use infrared emitting diodes which have infrared emissions at various wavelengths. Examples of some of these prior devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,646,743, 4,686,986, 4,930,504, 5,304,207, 6,084,242, and 6,249,698.
Although these devices contain various light emitting diodes (LEDs) for applying various infrared emissions onto the body of the subject at a desired location, they can be more user friendly. They require constant holding, either by the user or a second person for directing the infrared emissions onto a specific location of the subject or the device must be secured on the subject by various attachments such as tapes, bandages, wraps, etc. Furthermore, many of these devices use only one length or range of wavelengths, which although may prove satisfactory for certain treatments, are not believed to provide the same effect as a combination of diodes having various wavelength patterns. Also, these known devices emit other less desirable wavelengths which may reduce the effectiveness of the treatment.
The therapeutic light device of the present invention provides an ergonomical device which is easily used and yet is relatively simple in construction and operation, and which provides an efficient infrared emission for directing against a specific location of a subject, which is not believed to be easily provided by the known prior therapeutic light devices.
The therapeutic light device of the present invention is a relatively lightweight hand-held device having a handle which may contain batteries for supplying the necessary energy to light emitting diodes which are mounted in an application head of the device, with the connecting neck, which extends between the handle and head, being formed of a flexible position retaining material such as the metal coils which have sufficient friction therebetween to retain the flexible neck in a preset condition. This enables the device to be placed on a subject""s body with the head containing the diodes being retained at a specific location without requiring additional attachment devices such as bands, tapes, etc. since the neck can be wrapped about or over the limb of a subject to retain the device in position without requiring any external attachment devices.
A further aspect of the invention is to provide the therapeutic light device with an applicator head which contains the light emitting diodes and with a filter which contains a violet covered semi-transparent lens which filters certain wavelengths out of the infrared emissions in order to define a desired range of wavelength emissions from the diodes believed to be most effective in treating a specific area of the subject""s body.
Another feature is to provide such a device in which the applicator head contains two or more groups of diodes having various wavelengths to provide effective infrared emissions for applying to a subject""s body wherein one of the groups preferably has a different focal point thereby effecting the intensity of the emissions.
Still another feature of the invention is providing the applicator head with a hollow housing, which in addition to containing the light emitting diodes, contains a filtering lens, and may contain batteries for supplying the energy to the adjacent light emitting diodes.
Thus the therapeutic light device of the present invention includes a handle and an applicator head which is connected to the handle by a flexible position retaining neck with a plurality of infrared emitting diode groups mounted in the head for applying infrared radiation to a subject""s body, with the energy source for energizing the diodes being mounted either in the handle or in the applicator head.
Further advantages, construction, and operation of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.